Who can eat more than their cruise fare in food?

[usacamaro]

I know my family eats more than the cruise fare in food. Our most recent booking was 225 pp for a 5 night on the triumph. I figure 5 nice dinners/5 breakfast is at least $250 a person. That's not even including lunch.

[HawkIVette]

Was not a problem in my younger days. First went cruising and thought, "What a deal". Unlimited food, entertainment, your hotel stay and they even drive you around each day. All for 1 small price.

 

Now days, I don't eat as much as I used to, don't do all the activities that I used to, but still the best deal in travel around.

[zippyjet]

Put me up with your gang and I'll be a formidable competitor. Do you guys also hit the Pizza Pirate for slices (mini pies)? And then some of the soft swirl ice cream way late at night/early in the morning. When I do dinner, I can't let my dinning room and chefs down, I must "sample several appetizers, sometimes get multiple entries and of course desert usually melt cake with a scoop of each flavor of the ice cream. I give my cabin commode a hearty workout.

[lasvegascruising]

When I am planning a vacation, I always think about what the costs will be for hotel rooms and food. A cruise vacation is such a great deal in my opinion. A little snack here and a little snack there. A breakfast here and dinner there. What a great financial deal.

[Foxinspace]

My DH certainly can. Big Breakfast, Big lunch, afternoon snack, 2 entrees at dinner, sometimes 2 deserts, late night pizza. All of the above with as much meat and as little green veggies as possible.

 

I am much more moderate by comparison. I think I get good value but, my DH makes up for our 3 yr old who eats so little!

[cocoaloco]

when I enter the dining room.....:)

[Razor_Poke]

Assume it's a $10 breakfast, a $15 lunch and a $25 dinner. Seems tough and I eat a lot. That would be $350 on a 7 day cruise.

 

Double those numbers and it's close.

[crusinpsychRN]

Don't give Carnival any ideas.

 

Zippyjet--TMI.

Edited July 7, 2016 by crusinpsychRN

[USNUZULOOSE]

That's a new one on me, never thought about it before. Maybe I ate my fair share the last cruise. But now that I need to be more aware of my diet for certain things. So won't be going crazy, but I am sure I will eat my fair share anyway.

[rguy123]

I see a lot of people who look like they got their money's worth!

[kylesplash]

Put me up with your gang and I'll be a formidable competitor. Do you guys also hit the Pizza Pirate for slices (mini pies)? And then some of the soft swirl ice cream way late at night/early in the morning. When I do dinner, I can't let my dinning room and chefs down, I must "sample several appetizers, sometimes get multiple entries and of course desert usually melt cake with a scoop of each flavor of the ice cream. I give my cabin commode a hearty workout.

 

I like your style. I fully enjoy the 3 main meals on the ship, the taste bar, the deli, & pizza place every day. I joke saying I gain 9 pounds every cruise, I might need to look at my calorie intake and see if I actually am.

[campdaan]

Back in the day.... I could eat my cruise fare and/or my weight.

 

Now that I have to watch what I eat and be more selective, I still think it's a great value.

[evandbob]

After my first 5 cruises I stopped eating like a gavone and began acting like I had seen food already in my life.

 

I still order 2 entrees like those little lobster tails they serve and sometimes will order a combo surf entree to go with a turf entree.

 

I don't feel the need to order more than what I normally would eat at home or in a restaurant. In fact, the items I request most of are the side dishes of veggies.

 

The value I stress here is my own health, rather than the amount of food chowed down.

 

I can usually come home from a cruise weight neutral.

Edited July 7, 2016 by evandbob

[bury me at sea]

Not even close, but we eat all we want. It's part of what has been a reasonable price.

[usacamaro]

I think you guys are going overboard. I am a light eater. So are the wife and kids. But we still eat 3 meals a day. I am not suggesting getting all the food you can. I am just saying.... 3 meals a day (at a restaurant) cost more than the cruise fare. Would you guys agree?

[loubetti]

I know my family eats more than the cruise fare in food. Our most recent booking was 225 pp for a 5 night on the triumph. I figure 5 nice dinners/5 breakfast is at least $250 a person. That's not even including lunch.

 

No, you're not even close, way off. Do not compare ship's food to your local restaurant prices. Some people make gluttons of themselves, other's do not. Otherwise it doesn't matter. One Carnival ship uses more food in a day than some restaurants use in a month. "Purchasing power" and economies of scale come into play here.

 

The bottom line: A cruise line like Carnival probably budgets $12 per day per person. So, 5 people = $60 per day, or $300 for the entire 5 night cruise! Trust me, you did not consume $1250 worth of food.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble on this. :D

[rtaurus]

I think you guys are going overboard. I am a light eater. So are the wife and kids. But we still eat 3 meals a day. I am not suggesting getting all the food you can. I am just saying.... 3 meals a day (at a restaurant) cost more than the cruise fare. Would you guys agree?

 

I was thinking the same thing. usually eat 3 regular meals a day on a cruise and potentially some in between snacks (really not a big eater) but still feel with the entertainment and lodging we come out way,way ahead on a cruise vs a trip pretty much anywhere else where you pay for separate entertainment, hotel and meals in restaurants.

[loubetti]

I think you guys are going overboard. I am a light eater. So are the wife and kids. But we still eat 3 meals a day. I am not suggesting getting all the food you can. I am just saying.... 3 meals a day (at a restaurant) cost more than the cruise fare. Would you guys agree?

 

I agree, but as I stated above, it is an irrelevant comparison when it comes to a cruise ship. Trust me, even a glutton can't get anything over on the cruise line.

[E&B]

I agree, but as I stated above, it is an irrelevant comparison when it comes to a cruise ship. Trust me, even a glutton can't get anything over on the cruise line.

 

 

The OP wasn't suggesting they were costing the cruise line money. Only that given a different location and having to pay for meals, they were basically getting the cruise part for free having paid for meals and at least breaking even.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Razor_Poke]

Part of the fun of my planning is the budgeting part. For our upcoming Dream 7 night cruise, I've estimated about $3,600 for 3 of us which includes the driving, 1 night hotel, excursions -- well everything down to pictures and gambling.

 

The cruise itself including the suggested gratuities is $2,327. If I stick by my $350 per person food estimate and value my room at $150 per night, then I'm already at $2,100.

 

The shows and comedians are easily worth more than the remaining $200+.

 

Yet I try to talk people into the amazing value of a cruise and they just don't get it. They'll spend similar amounts of money at Disney, or the Grand Canyon, Vegas or even Branson. Or maybe some beach in Alabama or Florida.

 

Oh, and this could be cheaper if we went with on OV or Int stateroom but we splurged this time for a Cove Balcony.

 

And, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but how many sit-down restaurants can you go to and literally sample every single thing on the menu if you want for the price of one entree?

[evandbob]

Part of the fun of my planning is the budgeting part. For our upcoming Dream 7 night cruise, I've estimated about $3,600 for 3 of us which includes the driving, 1 night hotel, excursions -- well everything down to pictures and gambling.

 

The cruise itself including the suggested gratuities is $2,327. If I stick by my $350 per person food estimate and value my room at $150 per night, then I'm already at $2,100.

 

The shows and comedians are easily worth more than the remaining $200+.

 

Yet I try to talk people into the amazing value of a cruise and they just don't get it. They'll spend similar amounts of money at Disney, or the Grand Canyon, Vegas or even Branson. Or maybe some beach in Alabama or Florida.

 

Oh, and this could be cheaper if we went with on OV or Int stateroom but we splurged this time for a Cove Balcony.

 

And, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but how many sit-down restaurants can you go to and literally sample every single thing on the menu if you want for the price of one entree?

 

How many sit down restaurants would remain open if they served those nasty buffet "scrambled" eggs? Or greasy, under or over cooked bacon?

 

I don't think any NY restaurant would stay open serving any of the dinners that I've eaten in the MDR. I would be offended if I was paying for a meal at a decent restaurant and something similar to a mass produced cafeteria serving appeared for a $30 tab. The Steakhouse is different.

 

I know that maybe the only mass produced meals that I might pay for if they were the same quality as a cruise line might be the omelets.

 

The deli sandwich shops don't compare, if you go to a real Mongolian Wok you will find a much better product.

 

I think it's absurd to compare any cruise line's mass produced food with an entree in any decent ala carte restaurant.

Edited July 7, 2016 by evandbob

[Luvtoeat]

Back when we first started to cruise about 40 years ago, it was on Home Lines out of N.Y. The food was fabulous, including the midight buffet. Was looking out some old pictures recently and could not believe the spread they put out. Still have the menues from those cruises. I would gain 10 pounds on a 7 day and 15 on a ten day. Cant eat like that anymore, but also the food is nothing like the old days. Looking over the old menues and daily programs brings back some great memories. Very glad I saved them to show how things have changed.

[Yvonne]

I think I eat more on a cruise than I do at home simply because it's there and already paid for. I tend to graze throughout the day/evening, rather than stuff myself at the 3 main meals. I'm diabetic and it's better for me to eat smaller meals more often. Quite often I'll have two breakfasts (continental delivered to the room early to have on our balcony) then maybe 10:00 or so go to the buffet for bacon and fruit. Lunch is usually at the buffet, starting with salad then a little bit of this and a little bit of that (small amounts), an afternoon snack, dinner in the dining room (usually can't finish what's on my plate) and sometimes I'll get a cheese plate to take back to the room to have later. And quite often we'll finish the day with ice cream or a slice of pizza. :) DH eats way more than I do on a cruise, but then he gains more weight on it than I do too! ;)

 

I agree with those that said cruising is such a great value with your room, food and entertainment all for one price. We could do it a bit cheaper if we chose an inside room, but we prefer a balcony.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Yvonne

[usacamaro]

No, you're not even close, way off. Do not compare ship's food to your local restaurant prices. Some people make gluttons of themselves, other's do not. Otherwise it doesn't matter. One Carnival ship uses more food in a day than some restaurants use in a month. "Purchasing power" and economies of scale come into play here.

 

The bottom line: A cruise line like Carnival probably budgets $12 per day per person. So, 5 people = $60 per day, or $300 for the entire 5 night cruise! Trust me, you did not consume $1250 worth of food.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble on this. :D

 

Okay. Where is this restraunt that serves food to me at cost?

[Computer Nerd]

I know my family eats more than the cruise fare in food. Our most recent booking was 225 pp for a 5 night on the triumph. I figure 5 nice dinners/5 breakfast is at least $250 a person. That's not even including lunch.

 

i don't know if i've ever accomplished it but i certainly try on each cruise. ;)